Coupling



PII29Q1941- A. L. PARKER 2,240,413

COUPLING Filed Sept. 9, 1939 Myrna/9fans t flexible tubes, and more I includes a coupling part 4and a sleeve Patented Apr. 29, 1941 -COUPLING Arthur L. Parker, cleveland. ohio- Application Septemberl 9, 1939, Serial No. 294,181

ICI. 285-72) 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in couplings or other ttings for particularly to improvements in the connection between a coupling or other suitable itting and a flexible hose.

According to the present invention. the flexible metal tubing or hose is connected to a coupling or other suitable tting by solder. The .fitting portion or ferrule which may be made integral with the coupling part or which may be separately secured thereto. The exible tubing is inserted within the sleevev portion and is suitably connected thereto, as by solder bonding. In the use of such conduit lines, the tubing is subjected to vibration so that stresses are setup therein. Heretofore it has been customary to completely fill the sleeve portion with solder so as to connect the tubing to the sleeve portion throughout the extent thereof. In couplings of this type, the stresses set up by vibration are concentrated at the open end of the sleeve portion and when these couplings fail, the breakage generally occurs at this point, that is, lwhere the tubing is secured by solder to the sleeve portion of the coupling at the open end thereof. Similarly, bending or exing of the tubing tends to ilcmcentrate breaking stresses at this-,same po An object of the present invention is to provide a tube coupling of the above type wherein movement and iiexing of the tube is permitted within the coupling so as to prevent failure of the tubing by vibration stresses or by mere bending or ilexing of the tubing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tube coupling of the above type, wherein the solder connection between the tubing and the operative portion of the coupling is conned -around the end ot the tubing well within the sleeve portion so that a space is provided between the sleeve portion of the tubing, this space serving to permit limited flexing of the tubing within the sleeve portion in order to reduce and distribute vibration stresses.

A further object of the invention is to provide a' tube coupling of 'the above type, wherein the solder connection aiords a positive seal so as to prevent iiuidreaching any portion of the tube covering. v

The above and other objects of the invention will in part bev obvious and will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the accompanying mm;

Figure 1 is a view showing the coupling connected to a ilexible hose.

Figure 2 isa longitudinal sectional view through lFigure l.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the iiexible tubing is illustrated as being in the form of a iiexible hose. This hose includes a metal conduit portion Il having convolutions I2 which may be spiral or annular and which are covered by wire braid I3 or other suitable material.

The coupling includes a body portion I4 which is centrally bored to communicate with the metal conduit portion Il of the hose I0. The body portion I4 of the coupling may be in the form of an elbow or T-tting. The coupling body portion I4 is externally threaded, as at I5, at one end thereof, and is provided intermediate the ends thereof with a non-circular wrench engaging portion I6. The coupling also includes a sleeve portion or ferrule II which may be formed integral with the body Il or which may be separately se- Vcured thereto as illustrated in the4 accompanying drawing wherein solder S is employed to connect the body and the sleeve. y

`The sleeve portion I'I is provided at one end thereon with a non-circularV wrench-engaging portion Il and at the opposite endthereof with an inwardly directed ilange portion I9. l'I'lie end of thev hose |I is fitted within the sleeve portion I1 andthe metal conduit portion II is illustrated as extending slightly .beyond the end of the covering Il, although this speciilc construction is not essential. The outer surface of the covering I3 is spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the sleeve portion I1, as shown at 20. and th( inner surface of the sleeve portion within the non- `circu1ar wrench-engaging' portion I8 is tapered outwardly, as at 2l.

The end of the ilexible tube II) is secured within the sleeve portion I1 bythe solder bond S. 'I'he solder is applied so that a portion 22a thereof is disposed between .the wire braid covering Il and the inner surface of the sleeve portion Il in the region of the inturned lip I9. The solder portion 22a extends only a short distance between the covering I3 and the inner surface of the sleeve portion I I so that the major part 'ofV the covering is spaced from the remaining between the remaining inner surface of the end of the hose extends into the sleeve portion of thecoupling and is solder bonded thereto only around the end of the hose so that a space is left between the sleeve portion of the coupling and the adjacent portion of the hose. This spacing oi the hose from the inner surface of the sleeve portion permits exing of the hose above the-solder connection within the sleeve portion. This permissive exing of the hose is limited by the sleeve portion, but it servos to reduce and evenly distribute vibration stresses so as to eliminate failure of the hose at the solder connec'- tion. It will be also noted that the solder bond S provides a seal between the metal conduit portion Il and the coupling Il so that no uid will reach the braid covering I3, thus preventing leakage of fluid from the assembly.

It is to be clearly understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement ofparts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as setl forth in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A coupling for a flexible tube comprising a Asleeve portion'for receiving the innerend of the tube with the inner surface of said sleeve portion spaced from the adjacent surface oi the tube whereby to permit limited ilexing ofthe tube within the sleeve portion, a body portion havinga bore communicating with the conduit portion of the tube, and a solder bond for joining the inner end of the tube to said sleeve portion and said body portion, said solder bond being 4restricted to a regionA adjacent the inner end of the tube so as to leave the tube free from bonding to the sleeve portion throughout the greater portion of the length'of the sleeve portion whereby the iiexing of the tube in said sleeve portion is distributed throughout the greater :portion of the length of the sleeve portion.

2. A coupling for a exibie tube comprising as leeve portion-v for receiving the inner/end of the tube with the inner surface of said sleeve portion spaced from the adjacent surface of the tube whereby to permit limited exing of the tube within the said 'sleeve portion. said sleeve portion having at the inner end thereof an inturned flange, a body portion having a bore communicating with the conduit portion of the tube, and a solder bond for joining the inner end of the tube with said sleeve portion and said body portion and in which said ilange is imbedded', said solder bond being restricted to a region adjacent the inner end of the tube so as to leave the tube free from bonding to the sleeve portion throughout the greater portionof the lengthof the sleeve portion whereby the iiexing ofthe tube in said sleeve Portion is distributed throughout the greater portion of the length of the sleeve portion.

3. A coupling for a flexible tube comprising a sleeve portion for receiving the inner end of the tube with the inner surface of said sleeve portion spaced from the adjacent surface of the tube whereby to permit limited exing of the tube within the sleeve portion, a body portion having a bore communicating with the conduit portion of the tube, a covering for the iiexible tube; and a solder bond for joining the inner end of the tube to said sleeve portion and said body portion, said solder bond serving to prevent iiuid from reaching said covering and being restricted to a region adjacent the inner end of the tube so as to leave the tube free from bonding to the sleeve portion throughout the greater portion of the length of the sleeve portion whereby the iiexing of the tube in said sleeve portion is dis# tributed throughout the greater portion of the length of the sleeve portion.

4. A coupling for a exible tube comprising a sleeve portion for receiving the inner end of Ithe tube with the inner surface of the sleeve portion spaced from the adjacent surface of the tube whereby to permit limited flexing of the tube within the ileeve portion, a body pontion having a bore communicating with the conduit portion of the tube, a covering for the flexible tube, and a solder bond for joining the inner end of the tube to said sleeve portion and said body portion, said solder bond having a por-tion inner surface of said sleeve portion and said covering and serving to prevent uid from reaehing said covering and being restricted to a region adjacent the inner end of the tube so as to leave the tube free from bonding to the sleeve portion throughout the greater portion of the length of the sleeve portion whereby iiexing of` the tube in said sleeve portion is distributed throughout the greater portion of the length of the sleeve portion.

' ARTHUR L. PARKER. 

